The present invention relates to a goods hauling vehicle wheel or shopping cart wheel having a series of different types of braking devices. It is contemplated that my braking devices can be used on shopping carts and other goods hauling vehicles, as may be desired. These braking devices all operate to provide a controlled braking action to shopping cart wheels in which the braking devices are self activated to inhibit movement of the wheels when the cart is left unattended. In one form of my inventions I have provided a shopping cart which is supported on a set of wheels with wheel supporting yokes secured at corners of the cart to the cart. The yokes each having a pair of tubular yoke legs positioned on opposite sides of each wheel. A brake structure is mounted within the tubular yoke legs and comprises compression springs mounted above and below the axle. Each of the springs coacting with a metal plate and exerting a spring force against the axle to resist and inhibit rotation of the axle and wheels supported thereon.
Another braking device relates to a shopping cart that is supported on a set of wheels with wheel supporting yokes secured at corners of the cart to the cart. The yokes each having a pair of yoke legs positioned on opposite sides of each wheel. A brake structure is mounted on the sides of each wheel and comprises a plurality of flexible fingers. The fingers being sized so as to have a length slightly greater than a distance between the inside surface of the yoke legs and the outside surface of the wheels, so that as the wheel rotates, the flexible fingers will strike the yoke legs to resist and inhibit rotation of the wheels relative to the yoke.
Still another braking device relates to a brake structure mounted and enclosed inside each wheel of a shopping cart. The brake structure comprising a hollow portion containing a preselected number such as four equally spaced walls affixed to the inside of the wheel creating four pockets. The hollow portion also includes a plurality of weighted objects free to move from pocket to pocket as the wheel is being rotated, so that as the wheel rotates, the weighted objects will provide a lower center of gravity to each wheel at all times and will continually resist and inhibit rotation of the wheels.
Yet another braking device relates to a shopping cart that is supported on a set of wheels with wheel supporting yokes secured at corners of the cart to the cart and in which each of the yokes have an open bottom. A brake structure is mounted inside each of the yokes. The brake structure includes a compression spring in which the compression spring is mounted above a friction device. The friction device extends through the bottom of the yoke and exerts a continuous force against the outer circumference of the wheel supported by the yoke. The friction device will therefore resist and inhibit rotation of the wheels.